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Angry Irishman wants to redefine how you think of hot sauce

By Chase Will, News Herald correspondent
6:27 a.m. EDT July 29, 2014

A customer pours 'Angry Irishman' hot sauce on his Irish Packer hot fog at McCarthy's in Port Clinton on Monday evening. The reataurant has a bottle of the sauce at every table and is now selling them on behalf of its creator Kevin Mackey.(Photo: Jessica Denton)

McCarthy's menu may include an Angry Irishman burger in the near future, according to Hall. This burger will be slathered in the sauce and covered in jalapenos and pepper jack cheese.

The origin of Angry Irishman started with moving to Florida, according to Mackey. He didn't have a job when he first arrived, and to cure a long period of homesickness he started growing peppers in his backyard.

Mackey remembered how his father used to make homemade horseradish, and he decided to experiment with his first batch of peppers.

"The weather was extremely conducive to growing that kind of vegetable because it's like living in a greenhouse 24/7," Mackey said.

Angry Irishman started with a friendly rivalry between Mackey and a neighbor who also was interested in making hot sauce. Mackey spent all his free time studying different peppers, and when his friend dropped out of the competition, Mackey kept his nose buried in research.

"I started trying to find out how I could buy all these peppers I'd never heard of and mix them with different ingredients," said Mackey. "After about 7 years of trial and error I came up with Angry Irishman."

Mackey recently produced the first 715 bottles for restaurants across Ohio. The first 60 cases sold out quickly, and word of mouth brought new vendors around Michigan, Connecticut and Florida.

While it's not the hottest sauce in the world, Mackey ranks Angry Irishman above Frank's Red Hot and Tabasco. The habanero base adds a strong kick, but it's balanced enough to complement foods rather than overpower their taste.

According to Mackey, experimentation with hotter peppers is an ongoing pursuit. Ghost peppers, which are No. 3 hottest in the world, are currently growing in his garden.

"The Trinidad scorpion pepper is just above those, and then there's the Carolina reaper, hottest in the world," said Mackey. "I'm not using any of those right now, but I intend on making a small batch eventually just to see what it tastes like."

Mackey added, "The only question I have for the general public is, What are you waiting for?"

Bottles can be purchased for $6.95 at www.angryirishman.net, and Mackey works out deals for larger purchases. More information is available on the Angry Irishman Facebook page, or by calling 567-482-0090.